The Diplodocus

Ng8-f6 January 13, 2006

Basically, right now I am a pawn in game of diplomatic chess between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the United States Department of State. It’s getting to levels significantly higher than my own, so I can’t comment further on the situation besides saying that things are happening and I am preparing as well as I can.

Dad has responded in a rather amusing way to this, the worst case scenario. “You should be prepared to have to delay your departure,” he says. “Welcome to what I’ve been doing for the last few weeks,” I think to myself.

No matter how old I get, how much responsibility I show, what kind of job I hold, it’s endlessly hilarious how my parents still expect me to be a petulant kid who freaks out whenever he doesn’t get his way. Come on folks, I’m an adult now — I internalize the freaking out. It’s just easier. Not that it isn’t there — but if I’ve learned one thing from this crazy Foreign Service, it’s that you should be prepared well in advance for last minute occurrences. That and bureaucrats have awful taste in ties (I make it my personal mission to change this — when I’m DAS for Wardrobe, people, watch out).

So here I am, blogging in a bland Residence Inn in Rosslyn where I don’t even get the Food Network. It’s really not a bad life for the time being, though the fact that I’m having a goodbye party when I’m not really sure I’m leaving is pretty hilarious.